County app gives folks paws, linking users to shelter animals

Tuesday

Mar 12, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 12, 2013 at 11:26 AM

When Franklin County releases its first mobile-phone application this spring, officials say it will have at least one feature that sets it apart from most government apps: puppies. The app, which is about to enter an internal testing phase, will contain a directory of county offices, provide information on the three county commissioners, link residents to social services and allow businesses to peruse available contracts and county surplus auctions.

Josh Jarman, The Columbus Dispatch

When Franklin County releases its first mobile-phone application this spring, officials say it will have at least one feature that sets it apart from most government apps: puppies.

The app, which is about to enter an internal testing phase, will contain a directory of county offices, provide information on the three county commissioners, link residents to social services and allow businesses to peruse available contracts and county surplus auctions.

Tucked in at the bottom right of the menu screen is the dogs tab, a clickable paw print. This will summon a searchable database — with photos — of all the dogs and cats available for adoption through the county animal shelter.

“When thinking about what to put on our app, this was something very unique,” said Marty Homan, a county spokesman who worked on developing the app.

Homan said the dogs tab also will let residents report a stray animal or a lost pet. In each case, users will be able to upload a picture of the animal and the app automatically will send GPS information so county dog wardens will know what the animal looks like and where it was, or where it went missing.

In a perfect world, dog wardens would get a message on their iPads showing a lost dog they had in their vehicle, and could return the pet to its owner without having to take it to the shelter.

The county commissioners are expected to approve developer agreements today to place the app on the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores, where it should be available by mid-April, Homan said.

Adam Luckhaupt, the county’s chief information officer, said the county worked with the same developer Columbus used to create its phone app, and learned a lot from the city’s experience.

“One thing we learned from the vendor is that too much really is too much,” he said, adding that the first release of the app will contain what the county feels are core services that can be built upon later.

Luckhaupt said he envisions the county releasing a broad range of apps over time that all cater to a certain need or segment of the population.

Streamlining also saved the county money. It will pay about $21,550 for the app. The Columbus City Council, by comparison, authorized spending a little less than $166,000 on the city’s app, which has met with mixed reviews.

Joe Rock, director of the county’s animal control agency, said his staff was excited to see the dog tab.

He said he hopes that being able to swipe through photos of adoptable pets the way you might look at a friend’s wedding pictures will lead to more adoptions. Don’t expect to be able to buy a dog over the phone, though.

Rock said potential pet owners still will have to come to the shelter, meet the dog and talk with adoption counselors, who will teach them about responsible ownership.